


live fast die young (bad boys do it well)

by hyucksicles



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Crush, Bad Boys, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Jeno is teased for crushing on the notorious bad boy couple, M/M, Mentions of Anxiety, Pining, Secret Crush, Shy Lee Jeno, lee jeno cat dad, renhyuck are sweethearts in disguise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27341575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyucksicles/pseuds/hyucksicles
Summary: In which Lee Jeno, struggling vet student and father of three cats, is head over heels in love with the most infamous couple on campus, the mysterious "bad boy" types Huang Renjun and Lee Donghyuck.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno
Comments: 35
Kudos: 283
Collections: '00 FIC FEST ROUND TWO





	live fast die young (bad boys do it well)

**Author's Note:**

> hello ^__^
> 
> this fic is based on the prompt #00088 of the second round of 00FF! to the prompter: I sincerely hope you enjoy my interpretation of your prompt and that it does it justice ;-; to you, and to everyone else who stumbles upon this humble fic, I hope you enjoy!

Lee Jeno is a simple man. 

He likes hiding away under a blanket on a rainy day, his favourite smell is that of the flowers outside his grandmother’s house and he loves his three cats more than is probably healthy. He’s struggling through his second year of a veterinarian degree, living mostly off of ramen and monster energy drinks, which, while not at all healthy, is pretty common amongst his peers, and most of Jeno’s time is spent hunched over his laptop in the campus library. 

So, really, Lee Jeno is a simple man. 

Except when it comes to the fact that he is completely, totally, one hundred percent head over heels in love with the two most notorious bad boys on campus, who also happen to be dating each other. 

The infamous Huang Renjun and Lee Donghyuck. 

Renjun, for one, is filthy rich. His family owns some big chain of corporations in mainland China and is basically swimming in money because of it. Although rumours on campus say that the corporations might be a front for something more sinister. Jeno doesn’t know if he believes that, or at least he wants to say he doesn’t, but he’d be lying if he said Renjun’s murderous-looking gaze weren’t enough to send a shiver down his spine. So maybe there is some truth to the story. 

Jeno’s best friend Jaemin sure seems to think so. 

(“You know, I bet he’s murdered someone before.” 

Jeno chokes on the banana milk he’s currently downing out of the small plastic bottle, a few droplets of the liquid deciding to make their way out through his nose. He quickly wipes them away, still coughing as he sets the bottle down. Jaemin absentmindedly lifts his hand to clap against Jeno’s back a few times, eyes remaining transfixed on the young man in question currently walking across campus. 

“What?” Jeno barely manages to splutter out, focused on regaining his breath. 

“Yeah. He just has this, like, sinister energy surrounding him.”

Finally recovered from his coughing fit, Jeno rests his cheek on his palm and lets his eyes follow after Renjun as well. “You don’t even know him.” 

“Yes, I do.” Jaemin answers, finally turning toward his friend, who promptly raises both eyebrows. 

“Have you ever spoken to him?”

“No, but—” Jeno snorts. “Look, I just have this _feeling_ , okay?” 

A sigh courses deep through Jeno’s bones before leaving his mouth. He’s used to his friends’ antics by now, and doesn’t intend to stay and feed into Jaemin’s very vivid imagination. He stands up from the picnic bench, swinging his backpack over his shoulder and scooping up the heavy coursebook lying on the table into his arms. 

“Jaemin,” he says, “For the last time: You are not psychic.” And with that, Jeno turns around and starts walking away, a tired but fond smile on his face as he hears Jaemin frantically pack up his things behind him. 

“I could be! Hey, Jeno, wait!” 

Jaemin launches into an explanation once he reaches Jeno’s side, one that Jeno isn’t foreign to, so the latter decides to tune it out. His gaze wanders back towards Renjun, whose frame shrinks as the distance between them starts to grow. The silver pins on his leather jacket sparkle under the sunlight, and even from the back you can almost feel the intensity of those dark, dark eyes. 

Jeno definitely thinks he’d be capable of murder, but he also thinks that there’s a lot more to Huang Renjun than meets the eye.)

An even bigger enigma than Huang Renjun, perhaps, is his other half, Lee Donghyuck. 

Nobody knows anything about his family, where he comes from. Most people don’t even know his major given the fact that Donghyuck doesn’t really attend any lectures that he doesn’t share with his boyfriend. Jeno is only aware of what he studies thanks to his friend Kunhang who shares some of his lectures. 

When he does show up to class, Donghyuck doesn't really bother paying any attention. And why should he? According to the rumor his IQ lies well within the highest range, meaning he's like, genius level intelligent. 

Jeno is mildly envious of the fact that Donghyuck can afford to spend his time simply hanging off his boyfriend and sending death glares to anyone that dares to side-eye him or Renjun, blowing white smoke out of his mouth. 

He's not the only one jealous of Donghyuck's genius privilege, however, and he knows that a great deal of people hold it against him out of spite. 

Unfortunately, Kunhang somewhat shares that sentiment.

( “I hate him.” 

Jeno looks up from where he’s been poking at the soggy lettuce leaves in his salad, popping the cherry tomato in his mouth with his teeth and raising his eyebrows at Kunhang’s disgruntled expression. His friend slams down his lunch tray, ice tea sloshing dangerously against the rim of his plastic cup. Jeno can feel the table vibrate, and knows Kunhang’s leg is shaking underneath as his friend chews on his fork. 

“Hate who?” Jeno finally asks after he swallows, seeing as Kunhang has no intention of following up his statement unless prompted. 

“One half of the demon duo you’re crushing on, that’s who.”

Jeno straightens up, quick to object. “I’m not crushing on—” 

“I mean really,” Kunhang continues with no regard for Jeno’s objection as he aggressively stabs his fork into a piece of meat, “I'm busting my ass in these classes meanwhile that guy spends the entire two hour seminar texting his boyfriend under the table. The nerve of this guy, seriously." 

Jeno looks down, lifting up his hand in order to cover his mouth, trying to hide the quiver of his lips as he holds back a chuckle. 

“What? Oh, of course, _you_ think this is amusing.”

“I don’t!” Jeno exclaims, but his face bursts into a grin as he does so and a few giggles soon follow. All the while Kunhang shakes his head, sour expression still on his face. 

Jeno sighs, his laughter running dry. As he meets his friend's eyes, his own turn into crescent moons. “I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh, but honestly Kunhang, getting worked up over this isn’t going to help anyone. You know your worth, it isn’t defined by your academic intelligence alone..”

“Ugh.” Kunhang responds, but his face has lost some of its bitterness at his friend's words. Jeno’s always had that effect on people, you can’t really stay angry when he’s around. “I know you’re mostly just saying that to defend your wannabe boyfriend.” Kunhang doesn’t even pause long enough for Jeno to protest. “But you’re right, I guess. When did you get so wise, Jeno?”

Jeno simply shrugs him off with a smile.)

Another important thing you should know about Jeno (which you’ve probably already deduced by now) is the fact that he is very much single. 

Now, it’s not that he couldn’t find a boyfriend if he wanted to. Jeno is aware that he’s not that bad-looking — it’s actually a bit embarrassing to admit, but he’s caught quite a few people staring at him during class or at lunch, or on the bus, anywhere really. Sometimes they even come up to him, try to strike up a conversation, tell him he’s pretty or that his smile is to die for. He mostly brushes them off with a laugh.

He’s flattered at the compliments, really, even if he doesn’t quite know how to handle them, but Jeno isn’t good at these things. He isn’t good at relationships, can barely hold a normal conversation with a barista without some awkward phrase tumbling out of his mouth. Hell, he’s not quite sure how he managed to acquire a group of friends so quickly since coming to university. 

Actually, scratch that, he knows how. It’s thanks to his best friend Jaemin, who attached himself to Jeno like a piece of chewing gum to a shoe (Okay, the comparison is a bit harsh, and not exactly what Jeno means, but you get the point) from the very first day of middle school. It’s been ten years now, and Jeno still wonders why ever the social butterfly Na Jaemin decides to stick with his painfully introverted self. 

Jeno faintly recalls Jaemin’s drunken words from a few years back, how he’s told him that Jeno makes him feel safe, and that, despite his large group of friends, he still feels that he can only really trust Jeno with all his secrets. 

Jaemin is special to him as well, and Jeno will forever and always be grateful for their friendship, even if Jaemin is an annoying piece of shit sometimes (read: most of the time.)

Also, maybe another reason for Jeno’s non-existent relationship status are a certain pair of very attractive, and also sadly very unattainable young men. But, Jeno prefers to ignore that part. 

Really though, Jeno is fine on his own. He’s not lonely, or sad, definitely not longing for a pair of arms to curl into while he watches movies at night. Nope, not at all. 

His friends, obviously, disagree. Especially as of late, when most of their lunchtime conversations revolve about Jeno’s love life. 

("It's because you spend all your time either studying or cuddling with your cats." Jaemin says, pointing an accusatory spoon in Jeno’s face. "You're like, already the crazy old cat lady. I mean, seriously, who owns three cats  
at university? Those three hairballs eat through half your budget as it is, I don't even know how you afford a roof over your head." 

"They have _names,_ , Jaemin,” Jeno huffs, "Besides, I don't buy them cat food. That's way too expensive. I just cook them unseasoned chicken with rice." 

"So , _that's_ what that smell is—" Chenle exclaims, finally looking up from his Nintendo switch to spare them all a glance. 

"Ahem, guys? Can we get back to the subject matter, here?" Kunhang interrupts, prompting Chenle to glare at him for all of two seconds before directing his attention back to the screen placed between his hands. 

Jeno sighs, poking at the overcooked vegetables on his plate. "I'd rather not.”

"Well, tough. Jeno, I know it might hurt to hear, but Jaemin has a point." 

Jaemin looks smug, chest puffed ever so slightly as he sits next to Kunhang, and Jeno thinks that like this he doesn’t look that different from any one of his cats. He rolls his eyes. 

"You need to get out more. It’s almost your third year at college and you’ve only hooked up with, what, two people? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but—”

“But you _need_  
to live a little, Jeno! And you can’t honestly tell me you have no desire for a relationship with the amount of romantic crap you watch. Seriously, we share a Netflix account, so I know it’s a lot.” Jaemin states as he leans towards Kunhang.

“You mean you leech off of _my_ Netflix account.”

“Whatever,” Kunhang continues, grinning briefly at Jeno’s offended look, “The thing is, you'll never get a boyfriend if you spend all your time cooped up in your apartment with only your cats for company. And no, your fantasies involving things one and two don't count as a relationship." He finishes after a moment’s pause. 

Jaemin snorts as Jeno makes a futile attempt at hiding his blush. "I don't fantasize about them!" 

His two friends share a look, and even Chenle, who doesn’t seem like he’s tuning in to their conversation, lets out a chuckle. 

“Yeah, sure. Anyways, we’ll find you someone that’ll get you out of fantasyland, okay?” Jaemin says with a shit-eating grin, and Jeno genuinely considers punching him square in the jaw. He decides against it, but still makes sure to roll his eyes so far backwards he worries he’ll see the inside of his head for a second. 

“I don’t want a boyfriend.” Jeno stands up after forcing down the last of his tasteless vegetables. “And what’s more, I don’t need one. Got it?”

Jeno leaves no room for argument as he swings his laptop bag over his shoulder and heads off to his next class, but something tells him this won’t be the last time he’ll hear about the topic.)

Jeno is aware of the fact that all of this probably sounds like the introduction to some shitty teen romance flick but, regrettably, this is what Jeno’s life has become. 

His friends pushing for him to finally stop being pathetically single, and Jeno doing his best to avoid the topic while also trying to ignore the massive crush he has on two guys who don’t even know he exists. 

Fun.

* * *

The cold air shocks Jeno’s lungs as he steps out onto the pavement, and he’s forced to cover his mouth as a cough makes its way up his throat. The recent decrease in temperature has left Jeno with clogged airways and running a fever, due to the fact that the heater inside his apartment has broken once again. Sadly, Jeno’s cats and oversized hoodies can only do so much to keep him warm, and his immune system has suffered because of it. 

Jeno glances at his phone, fingers frozen underneath the fabric of his gloves as he presses the on button. His screen lights up, the display reading almost 8 a.m. Great, Jeno thinks to himself, he’s late. This wouldn’t have been the case if he'd heard his alarm go off when it did, but unfortunately Bongsik had fallen asleep on the device and drowned out the sound. 

Unfortunate as well is the fact that no professor would ever buy that excuse, even if it is the truth. 

So, Jeno sprints through the streets, the icy wind licking at the tips of his ears and nose, turning them red. He gets to the bus just in time, nearly out of breath and half coughing up a lung at this point, but he makes it on. An older lady eyes him cautiously as he grips one of the poles tightly, trying to shovel oxygen into his lungs. He tries his best to smile at her, his face only turning to a grimace as she grips her bag tighter and looks away. 

Jeno closes his eyes for a minute, today was going to be a long day. 

He gets off at the university bus stop a good fifteen minutes later, almost slipping on the ice at the edge of the pavement as he does so. His life flashes before him for the briefest of seconds and for some reason Jeno figures that wouldn’t be his last mishap for the day. 

After taking a deep breath to recover from his minor heart attack, Jeno starts power walking onto campus grounds. He checks his phone again, 8:22. Fuck. Jeno’s head feels like it's about to explode, having gotten a headache on the bus ride over and his side is starting to hurt from coughing after every third inhale. 

Almost there, he thinks to himself. The science building is only a few hundred meters away, inching closer and closer, until suddenly Jeno is halted by a hand on his shoulder. 

“Jeno? What are you doing here?” The familiar voice of Kunhang greets Jeno’s ears, and the younger swivels around to face his friend, chest heaving. 

“Going to… my lecture?” He huffs out, swallowing his cough. Or at least attempting to, it comes up only a second later. 

“Uh huh… you told me you thought you were catching a cold on the phone yesterday, remember?”

“...Yeah?”

“And evidently, you’ve caught it. So why aren’t you currently in your bed?” 

“Because… class?”

“No. Nuh uh.” 

“Dude—” 

“Shh. You’re literally running a fever. You’re going home, now.”

“The next bus doesn’t come for another hour. Do you want me to freeze my ass off for an hour waiting for it?”

“Obviously not, dumbass.” Kunhang hums for a second, before his eyes light up. “Go stay in my dorm,” the older fishes out a set of keys from his jacket pocket, placing them in Jeno’s hands, “you can crash on my bed. Xiaojun won’t be home until tomorrow since he’s visiting family, so you don’t have to worry about him suddenly bursting in.”

Jeno presses his lips into a thin line, staring at Kunhang’s smiling eyes before letting out a sigh. He knows there’s no point in arguing at this point. Begrudgingly he slips the keys into his own jacket pocket. 

“You know where it’s at, don’t you?” 

Jeno grumbles out a yes, to which Kunhang chuckles and reaches out to ruffle the younger’s dark strands before heading off the way he came. 

“See you later then! Make sure to get enough rest!”

Jeno hums in lieu of a verbal answer, shuffling his feet in the direction of his friend’s dorms. 

He pulls his coat tighter around him as he walks, and at this point his lungs have started hurting from the cold air and the coughs that rattle his ribcage every few seconds. The sluggish feeling that always accompanies this sort of sickness slowly seeps into Jeno’s bones. 

Despite his earlier dismissal of the idea, Jeno finds himself relieved as the entrance to the dorm building is within reach. He pries Kunhang's keys out of his coat pocket and fumbles as he tries to slot them into the lock. Once they finally click into place, Jeno is able to pull the heavy door open with both of his hands, his bare skin freezing once he can finally let go of the handle and slip inside. 

Sighing at the sight of the many stairs in front of him, Jeno slowly begins his trek upwards. He can hear some indiscernible noise up ahead, but he thinks nothing of it, only hoping he won’t have to face any social interaction in his state of sickness. Ruffled hair, red eyes and a runny nose are not a good look on anyone, after all. 

Jeno doesn’t even look up from his shoes as he continues to climb the stairs until he reaches the third floor and suddenly his mind registers the presence of another person. People, actually, as Jeno soon realizes once his head snaps up and his eyes meet none other than the dark, mysterious eyes of Huang Renjun, who’s currently being pinned against the wall by his boyfriend, in the middle of making out. 

Jeno freezes, stuck in place. A deer caught in headlights.

* * *

The back of Jeno's head hits the door as soon as it's closed. The jog up the stairs was probably one of the most embarrassing moments of his entire life as he tried desperately not to slip and fall on his face with two intense pairs of eyes trailing after him. 

Breathing heavily, the sound of it raggedy thanks to the phlegm slowly coating his lungs, Jeno tries to get the image out of his head. Renjun's eyes trained on him as Donghyuck pushes his body against the wall, hands digging into his lithe waist as he works his mouth on his boyfriend's neck. Donghyuck growling as Renjun tugs him back by his hair before grabbing his jaw and turning his head to face Jeno. 

Jeno had honestly expected Donghyuck to be mad, yell at him, had even expected him to go so far as to grab him by the collar of his shirt and snarl at him. He certainly didn't expect him to smirk, tongue peaking out to swipe at his spit-coated lips. To be fair though, this was much more intimidating than the scenario Jeno had come up with, both of them staring at him with (evil) twin smiles on their faces, completely aware of the power they hold. 

Donghyuck had looked like he was about to say something, but Jeno knew he wouldn’t have survived any form of conversation without absolutely dying of humiliation, so he'd done the best he could in the situation: mutter an apology and fucking bolt up the stairs. 

God, Jeno thinks, lifting his head just to thump it back against the wood of the door, wincing as it momentarily makes his headache flare up, he must have looked like such an idiot. 

And now, here he is, hiding away in his friend's dorm room with a cold that's worsening by the second and an uncomfortable throbbing between his legs. 

With a sigh, Jeno tugs off his coat and throws it on Kunhang's dresser. He takes a water bottle out of the mini fridge in the corner of the room, hoping that it belongs to Kunhang and not his roommate and chugs about half the bottle in one go. 

Jeno lets himself fall back into his friend's mattress, closing his eyes and feeling his body ache. He hopes he can just sleep off the cold... and his other problem, too. God forbid he let himself jack off to the image from earlier on his friend's bed. 

Jeno still has some sense of pride left after all.

* * *

Over the next few days, Jeno does his best to forget about the incident. Except for that time in the shower, when he let the image of the two flood his senses, letting the water wash away the sins of his mind. 

Jeno actually texts Kunhang asking if Donghyuck lives in the dorm building, since he’s never actually encountered him, or Renjun, before in all the times he’s been there visiting his friend. Kunhang answers him that yes, Donghyuck lives a floor below him in a room all to himself, but that he’s barely ever there since he spends most of his nights at Renjun’s off-campus apartment, or at least so he assumes. Kunhang also questions what prompted Jeno into asking, and the latter quickly brushes it off, saying it’s simply out of curiosity. It’s an obvious lie, but luckily Kunhang is too busy with a research paper at the time to properly grill him for the truth, a fact that Jeno is very thankful for. 

Speaking of research papers, Jeno is behind on at least two of those, so he decides to sacrifice his Friday afternoon of cuddling with his cats in a warm bed for some much needed work. He could of course write the papers from the comfort of his sheets but lately his wifi has been kinda wonky in his apartment and besides, he’s not very productive with the constant lure of sleep hanging over him.

Jeno’s cold is still clinging to his senses, but it’s faded, an afterthought present only in the occasional cough and a stuffy nose. Still, he wraps a scarf around his neck and slips a beanie over his ears for good measure, only taking them off with the rest of his winter attire once he’s within the heated confines of the university’s library. 

He claims a quiet spot, hidden near the back of the library and nestles himself onto the old worn out burgundy cushions as he sets up his laptop on the table, his three-year-old macbook whirring to life. 

Jeno spends the next hour and a half sifting through information, bookmarking and highlighting important remarks about the rarest types of microbial diseases found in dogs and cats, before paraphrasing them into his paper. His eyes are starting to grow tired, the congestion in his sinuses combined with the prolonged staring at a screen slowly but steadily making his head throb. Sighing, Jeno leans back and takes off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose as he squeezes his eyes shut. He’s only barely at the last stretch of his first paper, but is already quickly losing the motivation to get started on the second. 

As he opens his eyes again, blinking away the blotches of colour in his vision before sliding his glasses back on his face, he looks around the library. A few other students seem to be suffering his same fate, head in their hands or biting their nails as they stare down their computers, probably hoping their assignments will suddenly start writing themselves. there’s one person, however, who doesn’t fit the criteria. 

Sitting at the other end of the lounge is Huang Renjun, signature black leather jacket draped over the back of his chair as he leisurely flicks through a book that’s open before him. 

Jeno swallows hard, flashes of the image of last week (as well as what happened the last time he’d thought of it) popping up in his mind. Against his own will, his cheeks flare up red, and Jeno quickly diverts his attention back to the computer so he doesn’t get caught staring and running the risk of Renjun thinking he’s some sort of freak. 

He does his best to concentrate back on his work, except it’s been minutes and Jeno still hasn’t processed the paragraph in front of him despite now reading it for a fifth time. Fuck, Jeno groans inwardly, and decides to try and steal another glance to see if Renjun is still there. 

To Jeno’s horror, and to Renjun’s amusement it seems, the other is already looking his way as Jeno looks up and their eyes meet. Renjun smiles at him, and it’s a smile that’s equal parts deserving of being captured in a painting as it is extremely intimidating. God, why is Jeno like this? He’s at least a foot taller than the other and yet one look has Jeno cowering inwards. Then again, maybe that’s not such a good argument, since Jeno is nothing if not an extremely gentle being, and Renjun’s smaller height does nothing to detract from his overall commanding aura. 

Once again, Jeno attempts to ignore the incident and starts typing away at his computer, hoping that whatever he’s writing is at least in some way coherent. That is until he sees movement in the corner of his eye, and he glances to the side just to see Renjun swinging his jacket over his shoulders and… turning towards Jeno’s direction? 

Yup, Renjun is walking his way. So, of course, in typical Jeno fashion, he does the first thing he can think of: slamming his laptop shut, gathering his things and power walking right out of the building. 

And yeah, maybe it’s not the best solution to his... problem? situation? Whatever it is, but Jeno has always been good at running away from things, and he’s not planning on stopping anytime soon.

* * *

The winter holidays come like a breath of fresh air for Jeno.

He gets to go home to his family for two whole weeks, go Christmas shopping and bake seasonal goods with his younger cousins all while ignoring the assignments that await him back at university. It also, of course, gives him an opportunity to ignore the whole Renjun and Donghyuck “thing”. He still isn’t sure what to call it, isn’t sure if it’s worth calling it anything at all, really. 

However, those fourteen days of living in blissful ignorance, only an occasional text from Kunhang and Chenle or a facetime call from Jaemin reminding him of the existence of his other life, are over in what seems like a blink of an eye. 

And before Jeno knows it he’s on a train back into the city, some home cooked kimchi and the last of the Christmas cookies stowed away in his backpack. Jaemin picks him up from the train station and the two of them head over to Chenle’s apartment. 

There they meet up with Kunhang and all four of them exchange gifts as well as holiday stories over a game of mario kart and Chenle’s grandmother's famous hot pot. It’s a nice evening and, despite Jeno enjoying the time away, he can’t say he didn’t miss his friends and their silly shenanigans. 

He heads home way too late for it being the day before classes start up again, but Jeno doesn’t mind too much. He’s greeted by three very hungry cats that meow loudly as they swipe at his feet, and Jeno chuckles as he prepares them food, sitting down on the kitchen floor as the clock nears 1 am, making sure to pet his babies in all their favourite spots to earn their forgiveness. 

Monday morning comes way too quickly for Jeno’s liking, and with it he’s thrown back into the college routine, his life shifting back to the way it was before the holidays, as if they hadn’t even existed. Time runs much faster again, the hours as if stolen by the blurry of seminars, reading and a new load of projects being thrown his way. 

Jeno blinks, and suddenly it’s the second week of february, a Thursday night, and he is trodding through the streets near the university in search of the small convenience store that he knows carries his favorite banana milk. 

The bell above the entrance to the shop chimes jovially as Jeno steps inside, finally feeling a small reprieve from the cold air that’s been prickling at his eyes. The cashier, a guy Jeno faintly recognizes from around campus, looks up from his phone long enough to give Jeno a nod in greeting. Jeno smiles back somewhat awkwardly before quietly making his way over the refrigerators. 

His gaze sweeps the shelves, distantly registering the chiming of the bell as he sees the six-pack of tiny yogurt bottles in the bottom left corner. A content sigh slips past Jeno’s lips as he opens the glass door and grabs the delicious snack. 

He walks over to the cash register, snatching a bag of gummy teeth on the way for good measure, and promptly paces the items down before the cashier. The guy doesn’t even give a second glance before he scans Jeno’s things, but Jeno notices his eyes are looking towards the space behind him. He tuts, face scrunched up in… disgust? Jeno notes that he looks not much different from a rabbit like this. The expression is enough to get Jeno to turn his head over his shoulder, immediately recognizing golden skin and light brown hair. He whips his head back around. 

“You know who that is, don’t you?” The cashier asks, his voice low enough to keep the conversation between the two, and Jeno nods. Yes, he is indeed very much aware of Donghyuck’s existence.

“A total dick, don’t you think?” Jeno is momentarily stunned into silence, not sure how to respond. He finds he doesn’t have to as the guy continues. “I mean, the guy doesn’t even attend any classes. All he does is parade around with his boyfriend in front of the whole campus. Like why even enroll in university if you don’t even care to show up for the actual teaching?”

“He takes the exams just like everybody else, doesn’t he?” Jeno replies, a sense of irritation bubbling under the surface. Doyoung, as Jeno reads from the nametag on the guy’s employee shirt, snaps his eyes back to him, clearly taken aback. 

“I guess…” 

“And it’s not his fault he’s smarter than anyone else in his major. So, as long as he’s not hurting anyone, I don’t think any of it matters?” Jeno finishes, leaving no room for argument as he squares his jaw at the man. Doyoung looks like he’s dying to retaliate, but can't seem to find the words. Silently, he packs Jeno’s goods into a plastic bag and hands it over, his expression neutral. 

Jeno feels a presence behind him, and the smell of a subtle woody perfume invades his senses, washing over him in a gentle wave. His grip on the plastic bag tightens as he spins around, coming face to face with Donghyuck in all his 8pm convenience store shopping glory. He wears grey sweats and a black t-shirt, a some-what heavy-looking jacket hanging from his shoulders. His hair is pushed back off his forehead, revealing the entirety of his beautifully carved face, eyes ghosted with the hint of smudged eyeliner. He hardly seems dressed appropriately for the February weather, Jeno notes, but his brain supplies that it must be because he runs warm, which, paired with the inviting aroma of his perfume definitely does not help suppress Jeno’s urge to bury his head in the crook of the other man’s shoulder. 

The ends of Donghyuck’s lips tilt up in a half-smile and Jeno returns his own, somewhat stiff, as he yet again takes a rather swift exit, long legs carrying him quickly out of the store, clutching his small bag of groceries to his chest as he feels a pair of eyes trickle after him.

* * *

The wind pushes Jeno’s dark strands off his face. He sniffles as he places his bare hands in the pockets of his bomber jacket. It’s March now, and the frost has stopped settling on the grass each morning, but the winds at night are still chilly as ever. 

Jeno’s eyes scan the crowd, searching for a familiar tuft of light purple hair. He spots it not a moment later, his eyes soon meeting Chenle as the boy waves him over. Jeno is glad the younger dyed his hair not too long ago, it makes him easier to recognize in a sea of browns, blondes and blacks. Not that Chenle ever had much trouble standing out. 

Muttering apologies as he goes, Jeno shuffles through the bleachers, careful not to step on anyone’s toes, until he finally reaches his friends. Kunhang and Chenle greet him warmly as he takes a seat. 

“Oh, Jeno! Meet Xiaojun,” Kunhang says as he leans across Chenle. Jeno shuffles forward a bit, stretching his arm out as he comes face to face with the object of his friends' affection. Xiaojun is gorgeous, all sharp lines and carved features, but with a gentle smile and dainty, round spectacles sitting on the bridge of his nose. “Dejun, meet Jeno.”

They shake hands and Jeno squeezes out a “Nice to meet you” which he hopes is loud enough to be heard over the noise surrounding him. He’s relieved to find that it is when Dejun replies. 

“Nice to meet you too, Jeno.” Jeno gives his best eye smile before turning back to face the field. 

“Ugh, where is he? Shouldn’t the game have started by now?” Chenle whines, straining his neck as he looks over the heads of the people sitting in front of him. Jeno can practically feel his body vibrating from beside him. 

“Someone’s eager, huh?”

Chenle takes just a second too long to respond, a telltale sign in the eyes of his friend. 

“Psh, I just want it to be over soon so I can go home and… study.”

“Oh really?,” Jeno grins, “What are you studying for? The midterms are miles away.”

“Did I say studying? I meant playing on my switch.” Chenle replies, facing Jeno with his resting bitch face. Jeno chuckles, but decides not to push it. An annoyed Chenle is not someone he wants as a seat partner. Although he doesn’t quite get why the boy never makes a move, Jaemin has obvious heart-eyes for him. 

Ah well, Jeno supposes they’ll figure it out eventually. 

Chenle tunes into the conversation on his other side after that, and the three boys start conversing in Chinese. Jeno doesn’t mind, he’s not too talkative during these events, happy to people-watch, and his friends are aware of this. 

But when Jeno sweeps his gaze over the rest of the crowd, his heart gets stuck in his throat as his eyes meet Lee Donghyuck’s from afar. It’s just a second of eye-contact, and yet Jeno whips his head in the opposite direction so fast that he hears the muscles in his neck crack.

He keeps his eyes vaguely focused on his friends, who have stopped talking in their mother tongue, assuming that Jeno is paying attention. Jeno almost feels bad that he isn’t, but his head is currently spinning with questions.

What is he doing here? Jeno is sure that he’s never seen Donghyuck or Renjun at a soccer game. He would know if they attended, he comes to almost every single one thanks to Jaemin being captain of the team. So why is he here? It couldn't be because of Jeno, right? No, that’s not possible. But then again… what about the convenience store? And what about Renjun in the library? 

Are they… following him? No, that’s ridiculous. Pretty much every student at the university uses the library as a place to study, and the convenience store is close to campus, obviously it’s frequented by students. So, it’s just a coincidence. It has to be. 

Jeno inhales a large breath of air, exhaling slowly through his nose. Why does he always manage to get his own anxiety riled up over this stuff? It’s annoying, Jeno thinks to himself, a grimace settling on his face. 

“You don’t agree, Jeno?” Kunhang asks, and suddenly Jeno is made aware of the fact that he’s being included into the conversation he has been actively filtering out for the past few minutes. 

“Um, I—” Jeno is saved by the bell, or well, the crowd as a loud wave of noise crashes over them, the people on the stands rising from their seats in response to the teams finally running out onto the field. 

Jeno follows suit, getting up on his feet as he looks out onto the field, the grass glowing an almost unnatural shade of green under the harsh lights shining down on it. He spots Jaemin at about the same time as Chenle does, hearing a loud “Go, Jaemin!” erupt from beside him. His best friend winks back in response. 

And Jeno would laugh at the interaction, except his gaze has started to wander once again, eyes searching to the familiar head of caramel brown hair. Instead, his eyes catch on a leather jacket Jeno knows all too well. Renjun is walking past the few people standing at the edge of the field, and Jeno follows him with his eyes until Renjun stops in front of someone Jeno quickly realizes to be Donghyuck. 

The two of them share a kiss, Donghyuck pulling away to lay a few more against the side of Renjun’s face. Somehow that small interaction feels even more intimate than what Jeno had witnessed in the stairway weeks ago, and he finds himself looking away, trying to focus on the game instead. 

Jeno spends the following ninety minutes paying as much attention to the unfolding match as he can, jumping up and yelling along with his friends at all the right times, but his thoughts are elsewhere, and his eyes betray him as they keep delving off to the side to search for the two men. It’s to the extent that even Chenle, who would usually be fully enraptured in the game, calls him out on his behaviour. 

“Who are you looking for?” Chenle whispers right in Jeno’s ear (although with Chenle’s volume it can hardly be considered a whisper) and the latter jumps a little in his seat. 

“What do you mean? I’m not looking for anyone.” Jeno says with as much nonchalance as he can muster, furrowing his eyebrows at Chenle as if his question was ludicrous. 

Chenle squints his eyes at him, obviously not buying it, but he lets up when Kunhang suddenly lets out a shout. “Look at Jaemin!” 

Just like that, all the attention of his friend is back on the soccer field, allowing Jeno a sigh of relief. Except now, he has to come to terms with Donghyuck and Renjun having practically vanished. Jeno feels a little ridiculous that that makes him some-what dissapointed when just earlier his anxiety was acting up solely due to their unexpected presence. 

With one final glance around, Jeno accepts the fact that the two were probably only passing through, or maybe Jeno’s finally losing it and they were a figment of Jeno’s love-deprived imagination. Whatever the case, they’re gone now, and Jeno really should be paying actual attention to his best friends’ game anyways. 

Thirty minutes later, the match is over, and the home team is victorious, Jaemin happily swinging an arm around Jeno’s shoulder as all five of them walk through the lines of bleachers. Jaemin’s hair is still wet from his shower, stray droplets landing on Jeno’s cheeks as Jaemin shakes his head like a dog. 

“Oh, come on, Jaem!” Jeno whines as he pushes him off, Chenle snickering as he watches. The smile on his face grows even wider when Jaemin now puts an arm around his shoulders instead. 

Jaemin continues excitedly talking about the match as they continue their walk towards the parking lot, and Jeno tries to contain his grin as he watches Dejun taking in the spectacle that is a pumped Jaemin for the first time. It’s an amusing sight to say the least. 

Jeno’s attention is however, once again, swept away from his friends once he notices Renjun and Donghyuck only a few feet away. Donghyuck is sat atop a car, Renjun in between his legs, his back resting against Donghyuck’s front. Now that he’s closer Jeno can actually see just how gorgeous they look. Jeno feels like he’s said this many times before, but it really is just unfair how he can’t even bring himself to look away, completely entranced. 

His stare is noticed by the two, because of course it is, and this time both of them look over, mysterious twin grins on their faces and— 

“Jeno?” Jeno snaps his head towards Jaemin as soon as he registers his friend calling his name.

“Huh?” 

Jaemin squints his eyes at him, almost a perfect imitation of the look Chenle had given him earlier (seriously, those two are meant for each other). “What were you…”, he trails off, eyes moving to a point past Jeno before they come back to him. 

“Oh no,” Jaemin sighs, “Not the demon duo again. What are they even doing here?”

“I don’t know,” Jeno responds quickly, “I don’t care and I _wasn’t_ looking at them. Now can we go?” He knows it’s probably pointless to deny at this point, but he’s irritated and slightly hungry and just wants to leave. 

Jaemin seems to get the message, leaving Chenle’s side to walk next to Jeno, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder as he walks him out of the parking lot.

* * *

Strobes of neon pink and blue lights paint the room in unnatural colours, switching up between each beat of the music. Jeno can barely hear himself think as he finally takes the last step through the entrance, bass so loud it feels like it’s shaking the blood inside his veins. He stays at the edge of the crowd, not ready to launch himself into the mass of entangled bodies before him just yet.

He moves to shuffle his way along the walls of the club in order to get the bar but two firm hands on his shoulders stop him before he can do so. 

“So what do ya think!?” Jaemin practically barks into his ear, voice piercing despite all the noise. Jeno’s eardrums definitely won't be thanking him for this experience later. “Pretty cool, huh?” 

Jeno doesn’t think that’s the word choice he would use for this situation. He can already feel streams of sweat dripping down his back and the scent of various perfumes, alcohol and a faintly familiar smell that Jeno assumes can only be weed have already clogged his airways. It all feels stuffy and way too hot.

Clubs just really aren’t Jeno’s thing.

It’s not like he can back out now though, he’d promised Jaemin a night out, and if his friend wants to spend his night at the new hotspot for broke college students (students get a free pass) then so be it. Hell, Jaemin’s been raving on about the place since the moment it opened its doors, so of course Jeno had to agree to join him on one of his only nights off. 

Turning his head towards his friend’s bright grin and sparkling eyes, Jeno simply nods and puts on a smile. Jaemin laughs, hands still on Jeno’s shoulders as he begins to bounce up and down to the build up of the song. 

“Come on! Let’s dance!” Jaemin shouts over the music, and before Jeno has any chance of even uttering the refusal crawling up his throat, he’s being dragged through a giant body of moving limbs. 

He apologizes the first few times he bumps into someone, but soon becomes aware that everyone is so engrossed in their own world to notice. So Jeno shuts up, though he doubts they could even hear him in the first place. 

Finally, Jaemin seems to find a spot that he likes, almost right in the middle of the dancefloor. Jeno can’t even see the rest of the club from here, all of it hidden behind a wall of dancing arms. There’s at least ten people pushing in against them from all around, but Jaemin doesn’t seem to care in the slightest. He simply lifts up both his arms, hair bouncing as his head bobs from side to side, body starting to follow the rhythm in waves. 

Jeno doesn’t lift up his arms, but he tries to follow along as best he can, ignoring the slight anxiety pooling in the pit of his stomach. His mind keeps stubbornly reminding him about the amount of people around him, eyes darting towards the many faces, occasionally meeting the gaze of a stranger. The music doesn’t help either, pulsating beats crescendoing over and over again before crashing down into a drop. 

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Jeno focuses on his friend, flashes of blue and pink lighting up his face which is absorbed into the music, hair swaying in all directions. It makes Jeno smile just the tiniest bit, because his best friend looks quite ridiculous, jumping around like that. Jaemin meets his eyes, stupid grin on his face, and Jeno actually laughs. 

When the next swelling of the music comes, and the crowd starts bouncing up and down, Jeno joins in. 

It’s been nearly forty minutes on the dance floor, and Jeno is starting to feel the fatigue of constant movement, his breathing fast and shallow. He pinches Jaemin’s waist, drawing the younger’s attention. 

“I’m gonna go get something to drink! Do you want something?” Jeno yells as best he can over the music. Jaemin shakes his head, flashing Jeno a smile before turning back towards the crowd. 

Jeno makes his way over to the bar alone, sitting down on one of the stools at the less populated end of the counter. He shrugs his red jean jacket about halfway down his arms in order, sighing at the icy breeze that sends goosebumps up his arms thanks to the AC mounted on the wall behind the bar. 

Normally the weather this time of year makes him crave warmth, but inside a sweaty and overfilled club like this one, he finds himself appreciating the cold.

Throat somewhat parched, Jeno attempts to catch one of the bartender's attention various times over the course of the next few minutes. Each time to no avail. He could of course just seat himself closer to the section of the counter that’s filled with people, but his social anxiety would rather he die of thirst than risk unnecessary human interaction. 

Slightly fed up, if at himself or at the bartenders he’s not quite sure, Jeno rests his face in his palm, and resorts to idly tracing patterns onto the lit up surface of the bar’s counter space. 

“What do you wanna drink?”

Jeno nearly chokes on air when the seat next to him is suddenly overtaken by the last person he had been expecting to see that night. Staring at him, with a smirk tugging at his glossed over lips, is none other than Lee Donghyuck. He’s dressed in a low cut black tee, golden collar bones poking out. Silver decorates his ears, wrist and hands, reflecting the different neon shades of the club's lights. 

There's a devilish glint in his eyes, one that makes Jeno's stomach feel all kinds of nervous as he pathetically opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water. What the hell is he supposed to do? Supposed to say? Fuck, where's Jaemin when you need him? 

"Why don't you get him a Manhattan, baby. I bet he'd like it." A voice speaks up from his other side and Jeno gets his second heart attack of the night as he turns his head only to make eye contact with the unmistakable fox-like eyes of Huang Renjun. 

His signature leather jacket is draped over his shoulders, and a small dainty red choker surrounds his neck, shimmering onyx rose sitting at its front. Renjun doesn't wear a smirk like his boyfriend, instead, his face is set in a smile. Somehow, it makes Jeno even more nervous than Donghyuck's smirk did. 

"Whatever you say, my love. Hey!" Donghyuck shouts to the side. Henk finds his eyes looking from side to side. "Two Manhattans and a Paloma." 

The bartender nods once, starting on the drinks right away. Donghyuck's attention drifts back to Jeno, who very much feels like a deer caught in headlights, or like a deer caught between two sets of headlights really. 

He feels trapped, but not out of fear for his safety, no no, out of fear of his social inadequacy that will most likely make him embarrass himself in front of the two boys currently flanking him and causing them to abandon their odd (and completely non understandable) fascination with Jeno. 

“Jeno, right?” Renjun nearly purrs as his fingers touch the bare skin of Jeno’s shoulder and the boy swears he feels the spot burn. He swallows hard before answering. 

“Um, yeah. How’d you know?” He asks, genuinely curious as he faces the smaller man.

“We have our ways.” Donghyuck answers instead, and Jeno’s eyes flicker to the slit in his right eyebrow, one that he swears wasn’t there the last time he saw the other man up close. Obviously, it makes him look even hotter than he did before, if possible. God, Jeno hates the power of pretty people. 

Jeno lets his mouth morph into a small “o”, nodding his head and feeling a spike of anxiety run up his spine. 

“I’m just kidding, we overheard your friend calling you that the night of the soccer game.” Donghyuck continues, and his smile has widened considerably. It softens his whole expression, and Jeno feels his shoulders relax slightly, the smile on Donghyuck’s face infectious. 

From his left, he hears a chuckle ring out and Jeno turns his head to see the soft, genuine upwards curl of Renjun’s lips, a glimpse of what Jeno had seen that one day at the library months ago. Jeno’s mind reels for a second. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen the other two smile like this, so used to either their hardened expressions or their flirtatious smirks. 

The bartender comes back in that moment, setting down three drinks in front of them. “Thanks.” Renjun cocks his head at the man before pulling out some cash from his jacket pocket and sliding it over. Jeno is about to protest, but a warm hand on his own stops him before the words can leave his mouth. 

“Don’t,” Donghyuck breathes, leaning in, “It’s on us.”

“On me, you mean.” Renjun counters, an obvious tease to his tone. Donghyuck gives a small eye roll in response, but the fond expression on his face as he looks at his boyfriend never changes. 

“Yes, on Renjun,” Donghyuck concedes. “Anyways, Jeno, would you like to join us at a booth? It’s much quieter there.” 

Jeno’s breath hitches as he looks between the two before throwing a cautious glance at the dance floor. Jaemin is still nowhere to be seen, but Jeno knows that his friend can handle himself, he’s in his element here, after all. 

Jeno weighs his options for just a second, considers the possibility that things could go really, really wrong, that he could make an absolute fool out of himself, or that people might start talking if they see him heading to one of the back booths with two known “bad boys”. 

But then Jeno decides that, fuck it, his whole life he’s been wary of everything and everyone, has been too afraid to take chances, has gotten so good at running away from thngs that he’s completely forgotten the feeling of running at them. 

So, Jeno bites the bullet, smiles and says: “Yeah, I would like that.” 

“Come on, then.” Renjun grabs Jenos hand, intertwining their fingers and heading off into the crowd, barely giving Jeno enough time to take his drink with him. There’s a hand at the small of his back, a light pressure that guides him forward as he struggles to keep up with Renjun’s pace. 

The smaller glances over his shoulders every so often, long lashes brushing his cheeks as he grins over at him, and when Jeno looks over to the side, he meets eyes with Donghyuck, whose hand never leaves his back. Like this, Jeno almost feels like he’s a sailor out at sea, willingly being lured to the bottom of the ocean by two sirens, equal parts dangerous as they are beautiful. 

Honestly, Jeno still can’t believe this is all happening and not just a figment of his imagination, not just one of the many daydreams he has when he should pay attention during a lecture. 

It gets even more surreal when they squeeze into the booth, and Jeno’s thighs are pressing against those of the two other men who show little to no concern for personal space. It makes heat creep up Jeno’s neck, his heart pounding just a little louder than it should be, but really, he can’t complain. 

And it’s funny, the way Jeno doesn’t even notice time go by as they sit there. Donghyuck and Renjun both know how to keep a conversation going, and for once, Jeno doesn't have to worry about awkward pauses or filling an uncomfortable silence because, well, everything comes easy. It’s actually kind of funny, now that Jeno thinks about it, how the two men come off as incredibly intimidating most of the time but now that he’s here, sandwiched between them, there’s really nothing scary about them. 

Sure, they’re flirtatious as hell, and quite touchy too, and their eyes aren’t subtle when they roam over Jeno’s face as he talks, which definitely makes Jeno nervous as fuck. It’s not a bad nervous, though, and yeah, Jeno is a little worried about the permanent pink dust that has settled over the apples of his cheek, but he could always chalk it up to alcohol should anyone ask. Yes, he’s only had two glasses or so, but still. 

Jeno has no clue how far into the night it’s gotten until his phone vibrates in his pocket. He takes it out of his pocket, taking advantage of the opportunity to wipe his hands briefly on his jeans. The screen of his phone lights up with a few texts from Jaemin. It’s then that Jeno remembers why he’d come to the club in the first place and feels a wave of guilt wash over him. _Fuck_ , how could he have forgotten about his best friend? 

He is fully prepared to beg for forgiveness from Jaemin… until he actually opens the chat. 

**jaem:** hey uhh 

**jaem:** do u hvea ride home???

 **you:** um, i thought we were gonna go stay at your place?

 **you:** also, are you drunk?

 **jaem:** jus a lil tipsyy lol

 **jaem:** also ahaha changge of plant?

 **jaem:** plans*

 **jaem:** im going homew thid rllly cute guy named lucas hehe

 **you:** jaemin. are you fucking serious

 **jaem:** sorryyyy ;-;;; don’t be madd:(

Jeno sighs down at his phone, briefly pinching the bridge of his nose as he imagines Jaemin pouting down at his phone, probably waiting on some cab outside with whoever this Lucas guy is draped over him from behind. He isn't mad per say, a little annoyed sure, but he can’t really be mad considering he’d straight up forgotten about Jaemin's existence up until a few minutes ago. 

He knows Chenle won’t be happy about any of this, though, and the thought hurts his heart a little, but then again, if his friend weren’t so stubborn about not wanting to confess his feelings maybe things would be different by now. 

**you:** i’m not mad, jaem. just be safe, okay? 

**jaem:** i alwayss am

 **jaem:** u’ll b ok??

 **you:** yeah, i’ll be fine dw. 

**you:** text me in the morning. if you don't, I will Not hesitate to call the cops, got it?

 **jaem:** lmao aye ayse sir

 **jaem:** luv u jennn

 **you** love you too 

“Everything alright?” Renjun asks as Jeno turns over the device so it lies face down on the table. 

“Yeah,” Jeno breathes, “Just my friend telling me he’s heading home with someone else and now I need to get a cab home or something, no big deal.” He smiles, and Renjun tilts his head. 

“We can give you a ride home. Donghyuck’s car is just outside.” 

“Oh, that’s okay really —” 

“It’s no trouble at all, Jeno. We’d be happy to escort you home,” Donghyuck cuts in, leaning into Jeno’s side, the familiar woody smell greeting Jeno’s senses, “As long as you're okay with it?” 

His tone is almost hopeful, eyes glancing briefly towards Renjun, and Jeno supposes he wouldn’t mind spending more time with the two. Besides, fatigue is starting to slip into his body, hours of uninterrupted human interaction draining Jeno’s social battery to the point of feeling physically tired. Jeno thinks it would be nice to relax into the back of a private car on the way to his apartment. 

Jeno doesn’t vocalize the want to leave, but somehow Renjun and Donghyuck seem to pick up on it pretty quickly as Jeno grows steadily more quiet in their conversation, blinking a lot more than usual. The two are, as Jeno has come to find out, very perceptive. 

Renjun starts lightly carding his fingers through Jeno’s hair, smiling at Jeno briefly as he looks at him before sending a glance Donghyuck’s way. Jeno watches in tired interest as they seem to converse through their eyes alone. Donghyuck stretches in his seat, running a hand through his hair as Jeno’s eyes follow the many silver pieces that decorate it. 

“I’m getting pretty tired. Maybe we should head out now? I don’t wanna end up falling asleep at the wheel.” 

Jeno knows it’s some-what of a lie, as Donghyuck's eyes are far from drooping, but Jeno’s body is slowly shutting down and the fingers in his hair make it harder and harder to keep his eyes open. It’s really sweet, honestly, the way they make it seem that it’s not because of Jeno that they’re leaving the club. Jeno appreciates it very much, a feeling of warmth spreading through his stomach. 

So, they file out of the club, Donghyuck and Renjun once again surrounding Jeno, almost as if guarding him between them, and the crowd seems to open a path for them as they go through. Jeno has a light suspicion it’s because Donghyuck is glaring at them. 

Once they make it outside and Jeno has to pull his jacket around him at the gusts of wind, he’s greeted by the sight of a sleek black Mercedes, onyx surface reflecting the dim glow of the streetlights. Now, Jeno’s not a car guy by any means, but he knows a nice car when he sees one. 

The interior is just as pretty, Jeno notes as Renjun pulls open the passenger door revealing red leather seats. He’s about to step towards the back door of the car when Renjun reaches out and stops him. “No, come sit here,” he says, scooting the seat backwards to allow for more room. 

Donghyuck chuckles from the driver’s side. “Don’t look so worried, Jeno, there won’t be any cops around, much less at this hour.” In all honesty, that concern wasn’t the first thing that popped into his mind, rather the fact that he would be sitting between Renjun’s thighs for the entirety of the car ride home. 

He mulls it over for a second, but eventually decides the best thing for him to do is just go with it. So Jeno ducks into the car, settling himself down so that he’s half on Renjun’s lap. The latter circles his arms around Jeno, hooking his chin over Jeno’s shoulder as the engine comes to life with a gentle purr.

* * *

Jeno spends the ride home trying to stay as immobile as possible without it looking weird. His attention is mostly focused on keeping his breathing in check, although it gets stolen every now and then by Renjun playing with his hands or by Donghyuck humming along to the radio, causing Jeno’s eyes to drift over to where he sits, legs spread and one hand on the wheel. 

They drive in silence, the streetlights outside casting a yellow filter over their faces every few feet. Time feels weird like this, Jeno thinks to himself, it’s as if it moves much slower inside the confines of the car, like the world outside is pausing, holding its breath. 

When they finally arrive, Jeno feels like hours have past, although in reality it couldn’t have been much more than thirty five minutes or so. Once he leaves the comfort of Renjun’s lap and steps out into the night, Jeno feels the fatigue from earlier return in full force, having been temporarily absent in the nervous struggle of having Renjun basically cling to him. 

In all honesty, Jeno doesn’t expect the two to get out of the car, but they do, even going so far as insisting on accompanying Jeno up to the floor of his apartment. 

Jeno stops at his door, pausing awkwardly as he fishes his keys out of his back pocket. He can hear scratching on the other side, quickly turning the key in the lock so he can open the door and hopefully prevent his three rascals from further damaging the wood. Three sets of eyes immediately poke out from behind the door that is now slightly ajar, pupils wide in curiosity. 

For a second, Jeno forgets he isn’t alone and croutches down to greet them in his “cat-dad” voice, a soft higher pitched version of his usual tone. From the new angle, Jeno catches sight of two pairs of shoes and realisation hits him, making him freeze. 

Slowly, and with burning cheeks, Jeno lifts his eyes up to smile sheepishly at Donghyuck and Renjun, who stand there wearing twin expressions of what can only be described as fondness. Renjun especially looks close to squealing, and Jeno isn’t quite sure if it’s because of him or his cats. 

“Sorry,” Jeno starts, though he’s not quite sure what for, “Um, these are my cats: Bongsik, Sol and Lal.” He says as he points them out one by one. 

“Can I pet them?” Renjun asks almost immediately. Jeno doesn’t think he’s ever heard him speak this gently before. Of course, Jeno nods and Renjun moves quickly, though he does so very carefully. 

Renjun holds his hand out for them to sniff at, cooing as soon as Sol boops her head against his knuckles. Donghyuck follows his movements, slowly shifting closer until he’s able to scratch under their chins. Jeno watches in awe almost, his heart flooded with affection, as both of the so called “bad boys” on campus turn into complete softies right in front of him. 

“They’re so adorable.” Donghyuck muses and Jeno agrees, though he himself isn’t really talking about his cats. 

After a few more minutes, all three of them slowly stand back up. 

“Well, I should probably go feed them and then I’ll… head to bed. I— Um—,” Jeno pauses for a second, “Thank you, for tonight, seriously.” He smiles sincerely, hoping it will come across as so.

“No problem. We had a lot of fun, so really, it was our pleasure.” Renjun replies. 

“Actually, before we go,” Donghyuck starts as he pulls out his phone, tapping his fingers along the screen quickly. “Could we get your number?” 

Jeno feels shell-shocked for a good three seconds, staring at the device in disbelief. Really, he should have seen it coming, but, Jeno being Jeno, the scenario hadn’t even crossed his mind. Clearing his throat, Jeno tries to recover quickly, taking Donghyuck’s phone from his hand and enters in his contact info. He looks it over twice, just to make sure everything is correct because dear God, Jeno does not want to fuck this up. 

They say their goodbyes after he hands back the phone, and Jeno receives a goodbye kiss on both of his cheeks that has him internally screeching in gay panic.

Finally inside his apartment, Jeno lets himself sink to the floor, places his hands on his cheeks and wonders how in the fuck his life has suddenly developed from a shitty teen romance click into a fully fledged cheesy rom-com of sorts.

* * *

The months that follow are busy, midterms steadily approaching and forcing most students to abandon their social lives as they try to somehow manage to get in enough studying while simultaneously keeping up with projects and, in Jeno’s particular case, a shit ton of research papers. Junior year is really starting to kick his ass. 

Jeno doesn’t really see much of his friends, all of them busy with their own lives, and who, unlike Jeno, have other friend groups or in Kunhang’s case, a new boyfriend that occupies their free time. For once, Jeno doesn’t really mind. 

His own freetime has been taken over by Renjun and Donghyuck, the two constantly checking up on him through their joint group chat, one that Donghyuck had created the morning after Jeno had given them his number. 

Even when walking across campus he can’t escape the two — not that he’d want to — as they seem to almost take turns accompanying him to his classes or buying him lunch every time he forgets to (which is constantly, by the way, as Jeno can only find enough space inside his brain for exam-related information, not for basic needs such as food).

And yes, it’s odd to adjust to two new people — people he’d been pining after for the better half of two years, no less — suddenly tending to his every wish. Implicit wish, that is, Jeno never expects anything, it’s just… given to him. What’s even more odd about it all is that they’re not even dating, Jeno is in no way part of Renjun and Donghyuck’s relationship, at least not to his knowledge. Jeno is just… there? The whole thing is very complicated, and if Jeno had the time to sit down and question the dynamics of whatever they are, if anything at all, then he would. 

Sadly, Jeno does not. He finds himself once again envying Donghyuck’s level of intelligence, jealous of the other’s nonchalance even in the face of up-coming midterms. He’s jealous of Renjun too, whose only goal is aiming for passing grades, secure in the knowledge that he’ll land a job in his parent’s business. He can’t really be all that jealous, however, since neither of them ever rub it in Jeno’s face. Donghyuck actually offers his help on multiple occasions, but Jeno always declines, they already do too much for him. 

Jeno has been quite successful in keeping the… developments with Donghyuck and Renjun a secret from Jaemin thanks to both of their steadily growing workload and the fact that Jaemin had started a part-time job to pay off his new car, adding even more to his plate. However, as Jeno has come to notice, the spreading of rumors across a university campus is very similar to back in his highschool days, and whispers of the infamous couple courting the “cute but kinda awkward vet student” have started gaining a lot of traction. 

Despite his best efforts, Jeno can’t keep his friends in the dark forever, especially not Jaemin, who, even with midterms looming around the corner, slams his fists against Jeno's apartment door one Sunday morning. 

“Jeno! I know you’ve been avoiding my calls on purpose, you bitch. Open the door!” 

Jeno winces, staring at the door with a mix of annoyance and anxiety. Jaemin’s knocking had gotten him out of bed, his brain still half asleep and his hair in disarray, the last remains of drool still clinging to the corner of his lips. With a sigh, Jeno forces his legs to move, unlocking the door and watching in mild amusement as Jaemin stumbles forward and into his apartment. The sudden movement throws the other off for a moment, and Jeno uses this opportunity to head into the kitchen to make himself some much needed coffee. His friend follows suit, skillfully stepping over the cats that run rings around his legs. 

“So, you mind telling me what the hell is going on?” Jaemin asks, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he leans against the entrance to the kitchen. 

“You want any?” Jeno asks instead, voice still tender from sleep, gesturing towards the coffee machine as he does so. Jaemin rolls his eyes, but nods nonetheless. After all, it isn’t like Na Jaemin, raging caffeine addict, to refuse a cup. 

The machine starts whirring as soon as the light turns green, and Jeno turns to face his friend, letting himself slump back against the counter. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose from where they’ve been slipping, chewing on the inside of his cheek. 

“Jeno.”

Jeno sighs at the mention of his name, he guesses there’s no point in delaying this any further. “We’re just friends,” he starts, and a part of his mind laughs at the fact that it sounds like he’s trying to convince Jaemin he’s not cheating, “They came up to me the night that I went to the club with you and we talked a lot, they even drove me home. The babies really liked them, let themselves be pet for quite a while.” Jeno smiles as he recalls the memory. “And ever since that we’ve been hanging out, kind of. I mean we mostly text, but we hang out on campus sometimes, during my study breaks.” 

He clears his throat, mirroring Jaemin as he also crosses his arms. Jeno decides to leave out the catalyst for this whole thing, as well as the other odd encounters that mostly ended in Jeno fleeing the scene. That information doesn’t seem necessary in this case. 

“They’re really nice, Jaem. They’ve been nothing but sweet to me.” 

“I believe you.” Jeno wasn’t expecting that response, eyes flicking over to his friend. “What? You thought I was gonna say something else? Jeno, despite you being a little naive at times, I know that ultimately you’re a good judge of character and that you don’t trust just anyone.” 

Jaemin wears a gentle smile as he talks, speaking with the confidence only a long-time friend would have. However, his tone takes a more firm quality as he continues.

“But, from what I’m hearing, this is more than just a friendship. You like them, right?” 

Jeno shrugs, he knows Jaemin already knows the answer. 

“And do they like you?”

“I don’t know. I think so…” Jeno answers quietly. Logically, he’s aware that Renjun and Donghyuck wouldn’t be treating him like this if their objective was for them to merely be friends, but that stupid little voice in his head still pants it’s doubts regarding their intentions. 

“Well, then I think you should have a serious talk. I don’t want you getting hurt, Jen.”

“I _will_ talk to them,” Jeno stresses, “Just, after the mid-terms.”

“Oh my God,” Jaemin pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’re putting this off because of mid-terms? Jeno you— Look, if you keep pushing this back, it’s never gonna happen. And there’s a big possibility that those two are waiting for you to make the first move.”

“What? Why? Why do I have to make the first move with this?”

“ _Because_ Jeno, they’re already in a relationship, and they’re most likely waiting for you to feel ready to join that relationship, but they want you to be comfortable. So, you have to make the first move.” 

“And how do you know this?” 

Jaemin juts out his chin. “I’ve read enough fanfiction to be an expert on these things, okay?” 

Jeno nearly drops the cup he’s just retrieved from one of his cabinets. “You read fanfics?”

“That’s beside the point,” Jaemin continues, completely unphased, ”The thing is you’re going to tell them how you feel, tonight.”

“Tonight!?” Jeno whisper-yells, his anxiety shooting through the roof at the mere thought alone. “Are you insane?” 

Walking over, Jaemin places both his hands on Jeno’s shoulders with that signature shit-eating grin on his face. “Tonight. I’ll drive you if you want.” He winks. 

“I hate you.” Jeno grumbles as he glares at his best friend, who only shrugs before reaching behind him and snatching the first cup of freshly made coffee off the counter. 

He blows on the near-black surface before taking a sip. “Well tough, cause you’re stuck with me, Lee Jeno.” 

Rolling his eyes, Jeno lifts his own cup to his mouth, breathing in the scent as he lets his hands warm up against the ceramic. 

“By the way,” Jaemin speaks up again as he settles down next to Jeno, “Why didn’t you wanna tell me about any of this? Did you think I’d be angry or something?” 

“Can you blame me? It’s not like you ever liked them.”

“Eh, it was more just that I found it fun teasing you for crushing on the infamous bad boy couple of all people. I never actually thought you’d end up together, them being way out of your league and all.”

Jeno sputters as Jaemin chuckles into his coffee. “You dick!” Jeno exclaims, trying to dig his elbow into Jaemin’s ribs as the latter laughs freely, doing his best to escape Jeno’s attack. 

They quiet down again after a while, silently drinking from their mugs before Jeno decides to break the silence with a new topic. “So, you and Chenle? Any new developments?”

“What do you mean me and Chenle?” 

Jeno quickly realizes his mistake, already moving out of the kitchen. “Uh… nothing.” 

“What— Hey, Jeno, what do you mean _me and Chenle!?_ ”

* * *

Jeno ends up declining Jaemin’s offer of driving him to Renjun’s apartment. He takes the bus instead, using the added time to go over scenarios in his head, already practicing exactly what he wants to say. Realistically, Jeno is aware of the fact that he’ll probably end up saying something else entirely, something that definitely doesn’t sound as thought through as the speech in his head, but it’s the thought that counts. 

The building’s outside blur past Jeno faster than he would like, and before he knows it his station is being announced through the automated voice. Taking a deep breath, Jeno gets up on his feet and heads toward the doors, swaying along with the bus until it comes to a halt. He steps onto the pavement, pulling up Google maps on his phone in order to find his way. 

Renjun and Donghyuck know he’s coming, Jeno couldn’t very well ask for their address without a valid reason, and Jeno has no idea if knowing that they’re actively waiting on him makes him more or less nervous. As he walks, eyes darting towards his phone screen every few seconds, Jeno tries to clear his head as best he can, it’s usually the best method of calming himself down. 

After a good fifteen minutes Jeno arrives at what seems to be his destination. His phone screen fades to black as he pockets the device, eyes drifting up towards a very fancy-looking apartment building. It’s only a few stories high, much less than Jeno’s own, but the building is clearly a newer building, a very modern touch to its architecture. Jeno swallows, this is it. 

He steps up to the front door, searching for the name “Huang” on the list of residents. He presses the buzzer as soon as he finds it, not giving his brain any chance to overthink the action. 

“Hello?” Renjun’s voice trickles through the speaker almost immediately. 

“Hey,” Jeno answers, up-ing his volume towards the end in fear of being too quiet. He briefly wonders if Renjun can even recognize him by voice and is about to follow up with his name when Renjun beats him to it.

“Jeno,” the butterflies in Jeno’s stomach rattle around at the clear hint of a smile in Renjun’s words, “Come in.”

As soon as he says it the door begins to buzz and Jeno is able to push through, starting up the few flights of stairs until he reaches the third floor. 

The door to apartment number 3B opens before Jeno can do so much as lift his hand to knock, revealing a very cozy-looking Renjun. He’s wearing grey slacks and a white cashmere turtleneck, soft hair falling gently onto his forehead and his signature leather jacket nowhere to be seen. 

Jeno is momentarily stunned. Renjun looks different like this, but just as beautiful, his delicate features highlighted in a way that makes him look nothing short of an angel on earth. The shorter man reaches for Jeno’s hand with a chuckle, pulling him inside. “Come in, will you?”

“Donghyuck is in the kitchen cooking up dinner. We weren’t sure if you’d eaten yet, but we figured some food couldn’t hurt.” Renjun says gently as Jeno looks around, taking in the beauty of the apartment, marble floors, wooden highlights and all. 

“That’s... really kind of you. Thanks.” Jeno says honestly once his eyes land back on Renjun, and he watches in awe as Renjun’s face lights up in a smile. 

“Come on.” Renjun interlaces their fingers as he walks. “Baby! Jeno is here.”

Jeno is greeted by the delightful smell of home-cooked food once they arrive at the kitchen, as well as the very endearing site of Donghyuck buzzing around the stove. His hair is still damp from an earlier shower, Jeno assumes, and he’s dressed in a loose-fitting graphic tee and some joggers, his face devoid of the usual smokey eyeliner. Donghyuck grins as soon as his eyes land on Jeno. 

“Hey, Jen. Dinner’s almost ready, just another thirty minutes or so for the meat to be finished.”

Jeno nods, pursing his lips. “That’s good. Um,” he starts, and both boys focus all their attention on him almost immediately, “I was wondering if we could… talk?”

Renjun and Donghyuck share a look. “Of course,” Renjun answers, “Let’s go sit down.”

Jeno follows Renjun out into the living room, Donghyuck trailing behind. All three of them sit down on the couch, Jeno situating himself so he can face them both. 

“Okay so, there’s really no point in drawing this out, which is why I’m just gonna say it. These past few months have made me really happy, despite all the study stress and I’m seriously grateful that you two decided to approach me that day at the club, but, well, I, I really need to know what… what are we?”

Jeno risks a glance up from where he’s been staring at his hands and sees that the two seem to be waiting to see if Jeno has anything more to say. Panicking, Jeno continues. “I mean, if we even are anything at all, or maybe I’ve been reading this all wrong, which would be very fucking embarrassing, I—”

“Jeno,” Renjun reaches out, “breathe, darling.” 

Jeno does as he’s told, and Donghyuck decides to take the lead. “You definitely haven’t been reading this wrong. And while Renjun and I don’t mind being your friends, that’s not really our goal. We’ve just been holding out on straight up asking you because…”

“Because, well,” Renjun picks up where Donghyuck left off, “We didn’t want to overwhelm you with everything. We wanted you to feel comfortable around us.”

Jaemin’s words from earlier swirl around in Jeno’s mind. He already knows his friend is going to be proud of himself for his prediction. Damn that bastard for always being right. 

“Asking me what?” Jeno counters, his cheeks dusting pink against his will. 

Renjun’s face morphs into a wide smile, glancing back at Donghyuck, who moves to wrap his arms around the smaller, resting his chin on Renjun’s shoulder. 

“Lee Jeno, would you like to be our boyfriend?” 

Jeno blinks. He was, of course, expecting this, but actually hearing the words is a whole different experience. He refrains from squealing, because that would definitely be highly embarrassing and instead settles for a small nod. “Yes, I would very much like that.” 

“Finally!” Donghyuck exclaims, “Can we kiss you now? Renjun and I have been dying to do that for months.” 

Jeno nearly chokes at the confession, his cheeks blazing at this point, but he nods with a laugh. Renjun leaps up from his seat. “Me first!” He says as he moves onto Jeno’s lap, and Jeno thinks it’s adorable how he sounds like a young boy excited to open presents on Christmas morning. 

Renjun’s hands cup Jeno’s cheeks as he gently tilts Jeno’s face upwards, bringing their lips together. The kiss is delicate, slow and steady with a dangerous edge hidden underneath, one that makes Jeno melt in the older’s hands, blindly following his lead. 

“Hey,” Donghyuck honest to God whines from beside Jeno, causing them to break apart to look at him, “Not that I don’t enjoy watching you two kiss, but don’t forget that I’m here too.” Renjun chuckles at his boyfriend, at _their_ boyfriend (God, Jeno is gonna have to get used to that), reaching out to thumb across his pout. “Never.” 

The adoration in both their eyes is telling, and Jeno almost feels like he should hold his breath in order to not disturb the moment, but then Donghyuck is standing up, pulling Renjun off Jeno and playfully tossing him to the side while the other laughs. 

“My turn!” Donghyuck states in triumph as he takes Renjun’s place. Jeno can’t help but giggle into his mouth as Donghyuck slots their lips together, though it’s quickly replaced by a sigh of pleasure. Donghyuck’s kisses are different, slow in another sense entirely, almost torturous with the way he drags his teeth along Jeno’s bottom lip.

Their kiss is broken by a phone alarm ringing in the distance, and Donghyuck groans as he’s forced to lean back. “That’s the meat,” he pouts again. 

Renjun smiles mischeviously. “Well then you better go take it out, pumpkin.” 

Donghyuck glares at him before grabbing him by his cheeks, puckering up Renjun’s lips as he gives him a chaste kiss. “You’re on dish washing duty later, my love.” He sing-songs, finally standing up. The younger places another kiss on Jeno’s cheek and then heads off toward the kitchen. 

Renjun snuggles up to Jeno, throwing one of his legs over Jeno’s own. “I’m really happy you came over.” He sighs into Jeno’s neck. Jeno places an arm around the smaller’s waist, rubbing his thumb against the soft fabric there. In the distance, he can hear Donghyuck humming. 

“Yeah.” Jeno smiles, content. 

“So am I.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! kudos/comments are always very appreciated <3
> 
> ⇨ find me on [twitter](https://https://twitter.com/hyucksicles)🐦
> 
> ⇨ my [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/hyucksicles)🐈


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